Dave's Latest Letter To Employees

[PITbull]

My favorite paragraph in Dave's letter:


"We must come to grips with the fact that the industry is changing and that to survive, we must transform every part of the company – more efficient operations, simpler pricing strategies, a better product for our customers, more productive work rules, a more flexible business model – literally everything must be on the table. And that is exactly the plan we're working on right now. Our focus is on how to be flexible, adaptable and creative, and to do this, we must think in terms of the customer and what they will demand of us going forward."

Let's see...

"We must come to grips with the fact that the industry is changing and that to survive we must transform every part of the company".

PITbull comments: I thought we did come to grips with this fact in both concessions worth $1.2 Billion in cost savings annually. So, what was that all about? The "new business plan" presented to the ATSB demonstrated how every part of the company was transformed. All groups gave wages, vacation, entire medical revamp, furlough language gone, downsizing to 20,000 jobs gone. Reserve system, sick pay penalties, Long Term Disability relief, OJI Work related injury relief, Duty rig relief, Preferrential new Bid system, BK, terminated pensions, 2 gov. bailouts, alliances, Major RJ relief with MDA LCC Division, ATSB Guarantee, Investor monies, Productivity enhancement and relief, work rule changes, Kiosk machines to replace human workers.

Wasn't all this done to put us in a better position to compete? Did or has management done anything since than to address the "non-human" side of the equation, like simplifying and restructuring fares, improving the product and being consistant with service, over utilization of gates and planes, making strides to build bridges with all labor groups to restore morale? Have they stopped downsizing, and stop giving away our routes? PR campaigns, marketing? Why is management thinking about this now?

Can or will management address these non-human issues first and implement change to better mirror SW and JetBlue?

"Literally, everything must be on the table"

PITbull comments: What the hell does that mean? I thought everything was on the table and we came out with two ratified restructuring agreements.
Is the "competition animal" something new to our airline? Have we never competed before Dave? Or is it that Dave has never competed?

"Our focus is on how to be flexible, adaptable and creative, and to do this, we must think in terms of the customer and what they will demand of us going forward."

PITbull comments: Focus on how to be flexible, adaptable and creative? What have you all been doing up till now? I know that your lower management has been busy "hammering" the employees down here to death, denying medical leave of absences, throwing folks off of LTD and OJI, and forcing folks to come to work sick, disciplining folks right out the door with terminations. They have been very busy doing the "dirty deed" and destroying employee spirit and morale But, what's your excuse? With regard to the customer and what they demand of us...HAVE YOU BEEN LISTENING TO THEM AT ALL? How will lowering labor costs again effect positively what the customer demands?

And how does management plan to be more productive in their positions? Is there plans for more consolidation in this arena?

 

[flyin2low]

Something to lighten up the thread

Taxiing down the tarmac, the jetliner abruptly stopped, turned around
and returned to the gate. After an hour-long wait, it finally took off.
A concerned passenger asked the flight attendant, "What was the problem?"
"The pilot was bothered by a noise he heard in the engine,"
explained the flight attendant,
>>>>>>>>>>>"And it took us a while to find a new pilot."

Cessna: "Jones tower, Cessna 12345, student pilot, I am out of fuel."
Tower: "Roger Cessna 12345, reduce airspeed to best glide!!
Do you have the airfield in sight?!?!!"
Cessna: "Uh...tower, I am on the south ramp;
>>>>>>>>>>>> "I just want to know where the fuel truck is."

A man telephoned an airline office in New York and asked,
"How long does it take to fly to Boston?"
The clerk said, "Just a minute."
>>>>>>>>>>>>"Thank you," the man said and hung up.

A man walks up to the counter at the airport.
"Can I help you?" asks the agent. "I want a round trip ticket," says the man.
"Where to?" asks the agent.
>>>>>>>>>>>> "Right back to here."

A passenger piled his cases on the scale at an airline counter
in New York and said to the clerk, "I'm flying to Los Angeles
. I want the square case to go to Denver
and the two round ones to go to Seattle."
"I'm sorry, sir, but we can't do that."
>>>>>>>>>>>> "Why not? You did it last time!"

"Flight 1234, for noise abatement turn right 45 degrees.."
"But Center, we are at 35,000 feet. How much noise can we make up here?"
>>>>>> "Sir, have you ever heard the noise a 747 makes when it hits a 727?"

 

[delldude]

US Airways does offer a superior product versus Southwest. Unfortunately, the current cost-structure prevents us from efficiently competing with Southwest.

This is the time for the employees to rally behind their management team. It is time to end the name-calling and internal discord.

US Airways is a fantastic franchise that each employee should continue to support in establishing an excellent brand name. We must vitally restructure the company to allow the airline to compete with the LCCs. Everything is on the table to restructure this company. The silent majority empathizes this arduous undertaking. We control our own future. We have the utmost faith in Dave leading the charge against the competition.

hawk,where were you doing the concessionary events of 2002?
blow your chance or was it that you saw what UAL got and wished you'd done better?too late baby...like doc bronner says on ALA PBS:we'll have 6 years of labor tranquility...heed his words.....

 

[T-bone]

DELETED BY MODERATOR.

 

[usfliboi]

Pit bull I understand what your saying but youre basicallly saying that Dave and company should stick their heads in the sand and say they see no changing in the industry.. I said at the outset that more should have been done in BK but if more had been done then people like you wouldhave been even more upset. I mean we can argue all day but the facts remain the same. We did have the highest cost in the industry and the cuts that were made did only bring us down on a level playing field with other major carriers. I just cant see why you feel another team coming in and doing what?? will change anything. Its obvious to me and obviously the MAJOR investors, that he is saying and doing and addressing the correct things. Do I like NO!!! I like you have a mortgage etcetc. I dont like the new work rules, pay cuts, low morale etc etc etc ...... But from a buisness stand point Im also willing to admit our plan has to seriously address LCCs which I believe everyone across the industry has underestimated. Im not taking pot shots at you Im speaking my opinion right or wrong plain and simple.

 

[PITbull]

Usfliboi,

So, my friend, where are you on the potential furlough list????

Or are you so far up there that, furlough would never be in your cards?

I have no tolerance for those who speak to defend egregious actions, and lack of insight, foreshight, and hindsight from this management, and those who only make excuses because they want to be saved by the more junior rank and file.

You get to make excuses for management in order to convince some junior soul to give up his job in order to "save you". That is what productivity enhancement and work rule changes do. Yes, it makes us work harder and more efficient, and with LESS FOLKS on the property.

We gave what was necessary as Labor. Other airlines that are showing signs of stabalization and improvement, who did't take advantage of BK or RJs etc, are not in our predicament. Why?

Your head needs to come out of the sand, and don't be afraid to see this mangement for who they really are. These guys are not looking for Long-term anything. They want the stock price to rise, so they can CASH in, sell the airline and exit stage left.

U is in a perfect situation to go head on with SW. This management can not continue to threaten employees to give up more just because competition comes into our territory. That is the nature of the beast. He needs to be fearless, not fearful. We as employees have much more courage than that and will beat their azzes in PHL. Dave has to be more ingenius than that, after all he has a masters from Harvard. What the hell do they teach them there for $80,000 a year?

 

[mrplanes]

usflyboi:

Simple point to help you out:

This guy can't lead. He blew it. He has to go regardless of his ideas or schemes. It's that simple.

mr

 

[bigbusdrvr]

Pit bull I understand what your saying but youre basicallly saying that Dave and company should stick their heads in the sand and say they see no changing in the industry.. I said at the outset that more should have been done in BK but if more had been done then people like you wouldhave been even more upset. I mean we can argue all day but the facts remain the same. We did have the highest cost in the industry and the cuts that were made did only bring us down on a level playing field with other major carriers. I just cant see why you feel another team coming in and doing what?? will change anything. Its obvious to me and obviously the MAJOR investors, that he is saying and doing and addressing the correct things. Do I like NO!!! I like you have a mortgage etcetc. I dont like the new work rules, pay cuts, low morale etc etc etc ...... But from a buisness stand point Im also willing to admit our plan has to seriously address LCCs which I believe everyone across the industry has underestimated. Im not taking pot shots at you Im speaking my opinion right or wrong plain and simple.

Sorry buddy but here most have pulled our heads out of the sand, Dave gets no more of our money to play with, it's time to put up or shut down. Dave bargained and got all the concessions he is gonna get, he should have been revamping our route structure in the recent past instead of building a house in the islands. He will have to make do with what he has, what a novel concept management having to do their job!!

 

[blueoceans]

"U is in a perfect situation to go head on with SW. "

Huh? With a CASM at 30-40% higher than SWA? Costs are coming down one way or another, or the doors are closing.

 

[crazyincanton]

Hawk:

Let's see:
Threat of bankruptcy
Threat of liquidation
Terminate pilot's pension
Outsource airbus checks
Blatantly re-invent the cb's to steal more
Come cry the"cost are still to high" blues again

Sure. Let's rally around this management

crazyincanton

 

[PITbull]

Blueoceans,

Labor cost Casms are lower than SW, you have to bring down the CASMS by reducing costs associated with non-human asset utilization.

However, lets talk about your mangement paycheck for starters. Since management haven't been doing thier jobs thus far, salaries need to come down, and you need to learn to work smarter. Its quality; not quantity. Need to decrease the VP head count. Still saying Huh?

 

[blueoceans]

"However, lets talk about your mangement paycheck for starters. ..Still saying Huh? "

Since I don't even work for the company, I guess I am.

 

[flynomore]

Blueoceans,

Labor cost Casms are lower than SW, you have to bring down the CASMS by rducing costs associated with non-human asset utilization.

Actually, your statement is true only as a percentage of CASM, not the actual dollar value. While many classifications are equal or less than SW, our absolute cost of labor as defined in CASM is higher. Like I said earlier, that number is affected by accounting decisions, and will suit some agenda.

I agree with you, but you do your argument no favors with a simple error.

 

[usfliboi]

I see why they call u pit bull !!! lol If you had bothered to read the full text you would know i have 15 years... Not too much of a cushion my friend.... Fortunantly I can remember just a year or so ago the same people who said full pay to the last day stuff either didnt vote or were outnumbered. Im not concerned with anything other than this company becoming profitable again. What do they teach them at Harvard you ask???????? Well youre correct in one aspect..... If Dave had done what he shouldve done Buisness 101 CUT CUT CUT CUT cost! If he was as bad as alllllll that , during BK a lot of nastier stuff couldve happen to you and I and others. Hey PIT lets here you say something positive? Hows the weather up there ?

 

[diogenes]

And if dave says, in order for U to become profitable, we must pay you $10, reduce your medical benefits and cancel your pension, would that be acceptable to you?

This is just a twist on the old Mark Twain joke, where the punchline goes, "we've already determined what kind of girl you are, we're just dickering over the price."